A drug dealer from Harrogate has been jailed for seven-and-half years for supplying heroin and cocaine.
Mark Richard Bowden, aged 47, of Cheltenham Crescent, was sentenced at York Crown Court today – Thursday 23 December 2021 – after pleading guilty to seven drug supply offences at York Magistrates’ Court earlier this month.
He was brought to justice by North Yorkshire Police’s Operation Expedite County Lines Team who witnessed him supplying heroin from his car near his home address on 20 December 2020.
Bowden, who has numerous previous convictions for dealing Class A drugs, was arrested the following day and a year-long investigation began.
Searches of his address resulted in the seizure of heroin and cash worth more than £1,500.
Despite the ongoing investigation, Bowden was arrested again on 30 November this year when more Class A drugs and cash were located by the police.
This time, officers seized heroin, cocaine and cash again valued in the region of £1,500.
In addition to the substantial custodial sentence, Bowden was instructed by York Crown Court to forfeit £1,500 which is believed to be from the sale of heroin on the streets of Harrogate.
PC Michael Haydock, who led the Operation Expedite County Lines Team investigation, said:
The criminal actions of Bowden and other drug dealers like him are truly deplorable.
Motivated only by greed to make cash through the exploitation of often young and vulnerable drug-users, they think they can operate without impunity or just receive a ‘slap on the wrist’ from the authorities if caught.
Well, for Bowden, he can now think again. This substantial custodial sentence will hopefully hit him with an equally substantial dose of reality of the repercussions of dealing Class A drugs in our neighbourhoods.
We will not tolerate it and will act on any information or intelligence about such activity to tackle the scourge of drugs, which can cause so much harm to individuals and to communities as a whole.
Good